Students in class

A Friday in the Life of a Sophomore

Written by Aaron Andrews

I get to wake up at 8:00 a.m. After two semesters of getting up at 7:00 a.m. for a quick shower and breakfast before my 8:00 a.m. class, I finally figured out that I’m not the morning person I wish I were. This semester my earliest class is at 9:00 a.m.

My roommate is a morning person. He gets up at 6:00 a.m. on a regular basis, nevermind the fact that his first class doesn’t start until 10:00! He’s a better man than I. More power to him.

I might skip breakfast today. Again. After two semesters of living on the nineteen-per-week meal plan, I figured out that the Block 200 meal plan is the best option. You get way more coffee money that way, and you get to swipe your friends in if they forget their IDs.

Today’s not really a ham-and-eggs kind of day. I have a quiz for Latin 300, Literature of the Roman Republic. I’m a bit nervous. I’ll choke down a Pop-Tart with a cup of coffee from Jitters and then cram for a few minutes before class.

Even with two semesters of 200-level Latin under my belt, I’m struggling to keep my head above water in Latin. We are reading Cicero’s 1st Catilinarian Oration. Let me tell you: Cicero is quite the rhetorically enraged consul. Sometimes he gets so angry that he leaves words out. Such ellipses probably had great dramatic effect on listeners well versed in the Latin language, but they always throw me for a loop. Oh well. Everyone else in class is as confused as I am most of the time.

At 10:00 a.m. I run to my Ancient Philosophy class and listen to Dr. Stephens talk about seemingly simple but truly profound things like, “What is the nature of being?” My brain always feels a bit strained after that class, like a stretched-out rubber band. If I’ve learned one thing from this class so far, it’s the significance of the phrase, “It’s Greek to me.”

My morning classes end up pummeling the left side of my brain.

Next I run down to the sports complex for Physical Health and Wellness Dynamics, where I get to take my mind off of Latin and Greek thoughts by stretching my legs and exercising with Coach Lundberg. Exercise isn’t normally my jam, but I have to say, when coach Lundberg throws on the greatest hits of the ‘80s and ‘90s, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself.

After a couple of laps and dropping some dynamic stretches with Lundberg and Billy Joel (River of Dreams, you know what I’m talkin’ ’bout), I walk to the cafeteria for lunch. I’ll probably get pizza! (“Lord, why do I do what I don’t want to do?”)

I have to eat quickly because I have Science 101 at 1:00 p.m.

This class fascinates me. I’m not really the science type, but I’m having a great experience in Dr. Dolch’s Intro to Physics. Today we have an in-class demonstration of the law of inertia. Dr. Dolch has a little cart on a pressurized track that simulates a frictionless surface. It shouldn’t be a surprise to me (I mean, I understand the concept of inertia), but I can’t help getting a little excited when he nudges the cart, and the cart slides…and slides…and keeps on sliding! There’s no force needed to keep the cart moving at a constant velocity because, as it turns out, forces only cause acceleration. You learn something new every day.

Physics is my last class of the day–of the week actually. Hey! It’s the weekend!

As long as I stay on top of homework and start my papers early, life at Hillsdale is pretty laid back, but I’m not going to do any homework this afternoon. It’s Friday, for Pete’s sake. Nah, I’m going to take a nap instead. I have to rest up for the plethora of parties happening all over campus tonight. There’s a dance party over at the Delt house; or I could go see that new movie about a dude getting stuck on Mars; or isn’t someone having a birthday party tonight? Whatever. I’ll figure this stuff out in a couple of hours.

Dr. Arnn gave a speech last Sunday about how we sophomores are going to be the leaders of the college starting next year. Well, right now I feel like I’m kinda just coasting along like that cart with the inertia. It’s exciting and a bit intimidating to think that soon I will be accelerating. I can’t wait to see which force gets me started.


Aaron AndrewsAaron Andrews, ’18, is studying English, Latin, and whatever else crosses his fancy. He spends his summers in northeastern Washington, rural Stevens Country, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where he goes for weeks on end with no internet. He spends his free time photographing local herds of cattle, and frolicking in Washington’s famous amber waves of grain.